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First Victim Of London Terror Attack Named By Family As Jack Merritt

First Victim Of London Terror Attack Named By Family As Jack Merritt

He was a worker at Cambridge University

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

The first victim of yesterday's terror attack on London Bridge has been named by his father.

Jack Merritt was a worker from Cambridge University and was killed by Usman Khan on Friday afternoon.

His father David wrote on Twitter: "My son, Jack, who was killed in this attack, would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily. R.I.P. Jack: you were a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog."

Mr Merritt was a course coordinator for the prisoner rehabilitation programme that the terrorist attended, along with other convicts.

The building that Mr Merritt worked in.
Cambridge University

At Learning Together, he helped to run a programme that brought together those in higher education and the criminal justice system.

Tributes have poured in for Mr Merritt, with his father responding to one of them, tweeting: "Thank you Dan, we really appreciate you taking the time to say that. Cambridge lost a proud son and a champion for underdogs everywhere, but especially those dealt a losing hand by life, who ended up in the prison system."

As part of his work, he helped students based at the University of Cambridge and those based in prison to study together on university courses, with the aim of making society more inclusive and to reduce re-offending.

Two members of the public were killed in the attack, with the other victim, a woman, not yet named after the Metropolitan Police were called to reports of a stabbing on Friday afternoon.

They confirmed that the suspect was shot dead at the scene and that several people were also injured, as well as the two fatalities. They are now searching properties in Staffordshire, where the terrorist was said to be living.

Police are searching a Staffordshire address that is said to be linked to yesterday's attack.
PA

Since the attack, stories have emerged of heroic bystanders who confronted the London Bridge attacker armed with a fire extinguisher and narwhal tusk and pinned him to the ground.

Footage filmed during the incident shows one man carrying the 5ft tusk while another soaks the man with the fire extinguisher.

The narwhal tusk had been ripped from a wall at the Fishmongers' Hall, according to one eyewitness.

Taking to Twitter, a witness posted: "A guy who was with us at Fishmongers Hall took a 5' narwhal tusk from the wall and went out to confront the attacker. You can see him standing over the man (with what looks like a white pole) in the video. We were trying to help victims inside but that man's a hero."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: uk news